How to Create Your Own Pot of Gold

You don’t need the Luck of the Irish to create your own pot of gold. If you know where to look, you may find golden nuggets hiding in unexpected places. Here are six places you can find “gold.”

1. In your wallet. There are websites that will give you cash for your gift cards and they typically provide free shipping. Now, kiosks are popping up where you can get cash right on the spot. Look for alula machines in your grocery store. Yes, they take out a percentage, but you’re still getting money for a card that may otherwise just sit in your wallet.

2. Under the couch cushions. Coinstar estimates that around $10 billion in loose change sits idle in American households. So go on the hunt because that pot of gold could be hiding in nooks and crannies all around your house.

3. In your mailbox. There is a stack of unread magazines in most homes and because many publishers employ automatic renewals, they just keep coming. Magazines will generally refund your remaining balance when you cancel. So if you don’t read it, unsubscribe and stash the cash.

4. At the grocery store. Coupons really are like free money. If you buy yogurt ever week and start using a $1 off coupon, that’s $52 to deposit into your pot of gold each year.Save $1 on any two Silk single serve cupsSave $1 when you buy five cups Yoplait Greek yogurtSave 40¢ when you buy six cups Yoplait yogurt

5. In your inbox. All those newsletters and email lists you sign up for can really offer a lot of value, so don’t send them to the trash folder. Last week, I went through and printed all the offers that appealed to me. I got $1 off at Jamba Juice, a $5 rewards certificate from Best Buy, $5 off my next visit to Macaroni Grill, and a free mascara from Ulta. I printed them all out, circled the expiration dates, and tossed them in my car.

6. On your birthday. You’d be surprised by how many places offer you freebies for your birthday. Many are valid for your whole birthday month. You usually have to sign up for email lists to receive the offers but they’re usually worth it. Get $30 to Benihana’s, a free drink at Starbucks, a free burger from Red Robin and free makeup from Sephora, to name a few!